


Fishing

by auburn



Series: Green Sea [7]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Future Fic, Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-01
Updated: 2013-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 14:49:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2392286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auburn/pseuds/auburn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If the SGC wants Jack O'Neill to play diplomat, they should expect him to lie about stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fishing

**Author's Note:**

> Old fic. Unbeta-ed. Another odd bit that was written for a prompt on Dreamwidth. I've randomly backdated it to last year.

"I'm too old for this shit," Jack grumbled. "You hear me, General Carter?"

Sam patted him sympathetically, while hiding a smile at his fake disgruntlement, Jack felt sure. 

Retirement agreed with him, especially retirement on Atlantis, now that the city was back in Pegasus and the Trust stamped out back on Earth, the Goa'uld threat history and the Wraith back on their heels. Of course, retirement on Atlantis wasn't like back on Earth; he still got sucked in for things like this: a planet out on the far edge of Pegasus, mostly left alone by the Wraith, and according to traders, willing to trade in rare heavy metals and minerals needed for repairs to the city. 

Colonel Lorne and his team had gone first and conducted most of the negotiations, but he'd acted squirrelly enough about the whole thing that Sam had started worrying and asked Jack to accompany him and her to witness the signing of the trade agreement. "I just want a second opinion," she'd explained. "This place has developed their tech much faster and to a higher state than most Pegasus worlds. Lorne says they're on the up and up, but he's been... cagey. I'm worried something else is going on there."

"You think they've got to him and his team?" Jack had asked, eyebrows raised, because he hadn't noticed anything off about Lorne and none of the check-ups and debriefings had raised any flags. Frankly, he wondered if Sam wasn't suffering a bit of cabin fever, looking for an excuse to get out of the city for once. He knew she'd never felt right about taking over for Sheppard.

None of them had felt right about what happened to Sheppard and his team – luck to them wherever the hell they'd run. Jack had had to give McKay credit, he'd had the balls to give the IOA (and the Trust pawns that infiltrated it) the finger in favor of his team mates.

So they were on their way. Jack's gray hair and aching knees earned him a lot of respect on most Pegasus worlds, even with the Wraith threat receding, and he figured at least he could lend a little gravitas to the whole dog-and-pony show.

He figured out part of what had Lorne twitchy as soon as they came through the stargate. The plaza surrounding the gate, which stood in the middle of the world's capitol city (a real city, not some jumped up medieval village), was hot with active Ancient tech. Lorne was ATA active, strong enough to fly a puddlejumper. He had to feel that itch at the back of his head, if not as strong as Jack did.

It took a minute of subtle looking around to spot the installations: forcefield emitters that would pen in anything coming through that stargate, keep it in the plaza if the threat came on foot, splat it like a bug on a windshield at a hundred miles an hour if it was Wraith dart or puddlejumper.

Jack tried nudging at the tech, but it gave back only a bland sort of 'I'm here, I'm working' acknowledgment that didn't offer him command of it.

Modified Ancient tech.

Well, the traders and Lorne's team had said Losfir, Ljosfur, Lo – Danny could pronounce it, Jack decided he wouldn't even try – had high level tech.

"The ceremony is being held at the reception hall at the College of the Learned," Lorne said. "There's a trolley line that goes from here to the College, they've given the delegation its own car and have security on the ones ahead and behind."

"That's a hell of a lot better than walking," Jack said. He cast a sardonic look Lorne's way. "Anything you want to mention now I'm here?"

Lorne looked conflicted, then shook his head. "Nothing, sir. They're good people. Just not terribly impressed by us. They don't exactly worship the Ancestors."

"And they've got their own versions of Ancient tech."

"What's that?" Sam asked sotto voce as they strolled across the plaza, made nice with the greeting committee and headed for the trolley cars waiting to rumble them across the city to the College.

"They've got Ancient tech set up to keep anything coming through the stargate penned in that plaza," Jack said, while keeping a friendly smile on his face for the locals. At least most of them only looked young enough to be his kids and not great grandkids like on most other Pegasus worlds.

"It's just a safety measure," Lorne said. "I figured not mentioning it would be best, since they didn't."

"Hmm."

Jack got a glimpse of the Green Sea as they passed through older parts of the city and up into what was obviously a richer, newer part of town. It gleamed verdigris and jade, lapping at beaches iridescent with heavy metal sublimates. On the far side, he thought he made out factories belching dark exhaust into the sky. He supposed they couldn't make that body of water any more toxic though, no matter what they flushed back into it.

 

Nothing else made Jack suspicious. The locals seemed like a gracious, sensible group, smart enough to see trade and alliance would be more to their benefit than any backstabbing shenanigans and not inclined to treachery, though they drove a hard bargain. They knew what they wanted too: finely machine parts for factories that could be retooled to make more parts so they wouldn't need to trade for anything again. Jack supposed a people that lived their lives beside a sea, even a poisonous one, learned the lesson of it being better to know how to fish than to be given a fish.

Turned out they were very interested in all sorts of fishing. He ended up sharing a some local delicacies of a sushi-like variety with the Minister of Fisheries, who grilled Jack on what Atlantis and the Tau'ri could provide in the way of information on sustainable fishing. 

Jack eyed the bite of what looked like grape leaf and smoked herring in his hand and asked, "This isn't local is it?"

The Minister laughed. Her face lit up with real pleasure. "No, no, nothing from the Green Sea. That's northern hojde. As a matter of fact, it was probably harvested out of Kauko Bay, where I was born and raised."

Jack was always interested in good fishing. And fish. The hors d'oeurve tasted damn good too. Maybe Atlantis could trade for some hojde.

"Where's that?"

"The other side of the continent, up where the waters are really cold and the sun doesn't come up for a month in winter." She smiled fondly. "I remember when I left to attend the College. My fathers and their partners run the lighthouse, but one of them left and came on the train all the way here with me, to make sure I was safe and established."

"Sounds like they're good dads."

"The best," she agreed.

Sam joined them and the Minister shook hands with her like the gesture wasn't nearly unknown in Pegasus.

"Sam, this is... " Jack stopped, scratched his head, and gave the Minister an apologetic look. "There were a lot of names. I don't think I've got yours right?"

She smiled again. "Nima. Nima Emmagan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sam said.

Jack frowned and tried to think why that name sounded familiar, then turned and caught Lorne's attention. Lorne looked a little sick. Ah. He wasn't as fast on his feet as he'd once been, but he could still click a clue or two together quick enough.

Jack wondered how long Lorne had known where Atlantis' renegades had disappeared to.

"Other side of the continent," Jack said to Nima. "You see them often? Your parents?"

Nima shook her head. "I think that trip was the last time any of them have left the Lighthouse. Dad says they got all their wanderlust over before I was born."

"Too bad," Jack said, "I guess I'll never have a chance to meet them. But that's the way these things go. You tell them Jack O'Neill says they did a good job with you, though, next time you do see them." 

He nodded at Lorne past Nima's shoulder and steered Sam away. What she didn't know she wouldn't have to do anything about. As for him, Jack was just a retired soldier with an interest in fishing. He couldn't be expected to do more than smile and make nice with the locals, could he?


End file.
